Edited By Mike Breen

· MDFMK -- MDFMK (Republic/Universal).
"The revolution will be synthesized," says MDFMK on their self-titled debut. No, you're not dyslexic. This is not KMFDM. Not totally, anyway. Sascha Konietzko, co-founder of the late Industrial group (which disbanded one year ago), joined forces with Lucia Cifarelli (formerly of Drill) to form MDFMK. Don't even ask what this might translate to in German.

Speaking of the revolution, yes, it was synthesized -- in the late 1980s and early 1990s with groups such as Ministry, et al. And I guess it is still, to an extent. But whatever future revolution MDFMK is talking about isn't on this disc. In fact, MDFMK's debut sounds more like a combination of what has typified Industrial, Electronica and Hardcore music for the last several years: the distorted voice, lots of screaming and strident lyrics, buzz-saw guitars linked to speeding beats ... you get the picture. It's been done before, and done better.

KMFDM deserve a high rank in the last decade's army of Industrial music, and MDFMK deserve at least a listen from those who are inclined, as they manage to expand their horizons a bit with a variety of song structures and quieter moments. For once, a band press release does a very effective job of summing up the album. In MDFMK's case, the passage goes: "With this self-liberated status, MDFMK ... became free to extend themselves beyond old horizons and to explore new directions and re-invent themselves." Then, without hesitation, it goes on: "The heavy electronic assault continues on March 28th, 2000, with the release of the new self-titled debut MDFMK." (Doug Trapp)

CityBeat grade: C.

· Pimpadelic -- Southern Devils (Tommy Boy).
It's almost a game, watching the newly signed bands that sound exactly like whatever's hot at the moment have their debut come out like clockwork about a year after that hot ticket first hits. Pimpadelic are like a watered-down gin and tonic made with tap water and diluted booze: They have the exact same intent as Kid Rock and Limp Bizkit (the Metal guitars, the rapped lyrics) but they're execution is piss-poor comparatively (and those bands aren't exactly virtuosos in the first place). Metal-meets-Rap is this Texas ensemble's game but even in such a spotty genre, these guys are bottom-of-the-barrel. At least a band like Limp Bizkit makes efforts (how ever small and ineffective) to be innovative: Pimpadelic just use everything that's already out there.

The guitars sound like the drivel of '80s Pop/Metal guitar gods (but with twice the testosterone overload and bravado) and the rapping, though nearly Fred Durst-level (sucka MCs call him "king sucka"!) is pencil-thin. "So Damn Tough," with it's bad-ass, chick-banging attitude is just laughable -- and not in a good way, as is sometimes the case with Kid Rock's similarly-styled lyrical shrapnel -- and the DJ scratches on this and other songs on the record sound like a complete after-thought. They sound like Heavy Metal castaways who discovered Rap last year via "Nookie." And they really bite Mr. Rock's entire vibe -- down to their name (Rock's been "pimpin' " and rapping about it for at least 10 years now). Elsewhere, "Vegas" sounds like a Poison ballad with the drums turned up way too loud in the mix (they throw a slide guitar in for that, ahem, "Southern Rock" feel) and, while they occasionally have a melodic chorus, the group's singer always ends up sounding like Bret Michaels. That's it! They're the Rap/Metal Poison! Just what the world needs right now. (Mike Breen)

CityBeat grade: F.

· Various Artists -- Luaka Bop -- 10th Anniversary: Zero Accidents on the Job (Luaka Bop) and Various Artists -- Voices of the Real World (RealWorld).
It's an odd coincidence, having two Modern Rock pioneers celebrating the 10th anniversary of their respective World music record labels. But when you're dealing with Peter Gabriel (former Genesis vocalist and wonderful solo act) and Talking Heads founder David Byrne, odd coincidences aren't that surprising. Byrne's Luaka Bop and Gabriel's RealWorld have jointly combined to raise awareness of traditional and innovative music from across the globe -- more so than any other artists in recent memory (they both also work these exotic sounds into their own solo albums). These two collections celebrate some of the many artists each label has worked with in 10 years of existence.

Luaka Bop has always been the more eclectic of the two labels, as the two-disc anniversary set, Zero Accidents on the Job, proves. Besides international legends and pioneers like Brazil's Tom Ze and Os Mutantes or Peruvian chanteuse Susana Baca, Luaka Bop has also had a constant eye on the future, signing contemporary artists like British collagists Cornershop (and its Disco offshoot Clinton), oddball singer/songwriter Jim White and quirk rockers Geggy Tah, all featured on this set. Another highlight is Byrne's sizzling duet with late Tejano singer Selena, which shows what potential she had to be beyond just another pretty-faced Latin music showpiece.

Where Luaka Bop strives to mix modern and antiquated sounds for its label, RealWorld mostly sticks with uncovering gems from the realm of World Beat. Voices of the Real World isn't a label overview, instead focussing on the unique singing styles that find their way into various musics from across the planet. From mysterious and exotic (like Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan and Gabriel's "Taboo") to celebratory ("I Want Jesus to Walk with Me" from spiritual Blues crew The Holmes Singers or "Awa Y'Okey!" from Africa's Papa Wemba), this collection also has a lot of diversity. But ethnocentric music fans might have a harder time swallowing these vocal masters.

Still, if you like your music challenging and unique, both of these collections are well-worth exploring. (MB)

E-mail Mike Breen

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